This one is a picture book THE WATCHER: Inspired by Psalm 121, written by Nikki Grimes, illus. by Bryan Collier (Eerdmans).
It's also a narrative. Told in 2 voices. (I know! As if the Golden Shovel wasn't difficult enough to pull of beautifully!) And these characters feel SO REAL. I loved how Tanya, the bully, has a backstory that helps us understand why she does the things she does. (This is a great lesson for anyone creating villains... take time to show us their human-ness!) And I love Jordan's faith, and how he's willing to take a risk.

Here's a sample of each character's voice:

Jordan

I wake, a hail of hot words hitting my

bedroom wall, like bullets. "God, help,"

I pray, hoping the answer comes

quickly. My heart bleeds from

the sound of my neighbors' war next door. The

sun and I both shrivel, hiding behind the Lord.

- Nikki Grimes

Tanya

"Welcome, Israel," says our teacher. He

tells this kid with a weird accent to take a seat, but who

is it makes room for this geek? Everyone watches

to see, wonders why it's me who waves him over.

My answer? A snarl that says, "Mess with me, I dare you."

- Nikki Grimes

I do hope you'll give this book a read. You'll be inspired, I promise!

17 comments:

Wow! Thank you for sharing this. I'm blown away by just the two short poems you share from it. It makes my brain hurt to think about writing a book of golden shovel poems in multiples voices that tells a story. I was late getting my PF roundup post up for today, but I added your link to the new post.

Another book to explore -- HOORAY! I so love Nikki and her work. Thrilled that NPR has featured her (and Kwame) quite frequently in recent months. And I have yet to attempt a Golden Shovel. Feels like a holy grail of sorts. On my "2018 To Do" list! -- Christie @ https://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com

WOW! Sounds like a beautiful tale, powerfully told. A perfect example of how relevant and meaningful poetry can be - it isn't just for dusty textbooks, it's for the classroom, and the school bus, and every day!

Whoa! Count me among the admiring and the daunted. What an amazing accomplishment! Nikki Grimes is an inspiration and I'm so intrigued by the two poems you included and so curious about Tanya's backstory. I'll definitely check this out. Thanks for sharing.

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